When the negotiations to spin off into an independent entity broke down, the entire staff of publisher Annapurna Interactive, known for quirky titles like Stray, resigned en masse. This leaves the powers-that-be at billionaire Megan Ellison's larger Annapurna empire in a precarious situation. Still, it appears the entity will carry onwards (they currently have a lot of job openings) and that Annapurna Interactive's first game developed in-house, Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth (announced for consoles), will not be lost like tears in the rain.
The update comes to us from a fresh report out of IGN, with Annapurna telling the outlet that development will continue despite this small setback. The publisher shared a statement which has an unaffected, almost jaunty air as if the departure of its entire dev team (including Labyrinth game director Chelsea Hash) was just a confusing bit of fun:
"The whole situation is a baffler, but now we're focused on moving forward. We've had really great conversations with an overwhelming majority of our existing development teams and are grateful for their partnership. If our inbox is any indication, a ton of developers continue to want to be a part of what we're building, and we look forward to seeing their pitches. We've also had an influx of quality job applicants and are excited to build a team that is passionate about our mission to tell original stories that aren't being told elsewhere. P.S. We're hiring."